Vacation

I. Policy Summary

The University provides vacation for rest, relaxation, and renewal to employees who hold career and limited appointments and who are appointed at 50% or more of full-time for a period of six months or longer.

II. Related Policies, Contract Articles and References

III. Authority

Vacation shall be scheduled at the convenience of the department head/supervisor and normally is approved in advance of the vacation period according to unit procedures.

IV. Criteria

ELIGIBILITY

An employee appointed at 50% or more for a period of six months or more is eligible to earn vacation from the date of the appointment forward. Unless specified otherwise by collective bargaining agreement, employees are not credited back with accruals earned prior to becoming eligible. Employees begin to accrue vacation once their appointment eligibility has been established.

An employee who is not eligible to earn vacation because of a part-time or short-term appointment becomes eligible to earn vacation on the first day following six consecutive months on pay status at 50 percent time or more. Refer to collective bargaining agreements for information on represented part-time or short-term employee eligibility.

Multiple part-time appointments are combined to determine eligibility to accrue. Refer to the Time and Attendance Reference Materials, “Multiple Part-Time Appointments” chart for more information on combining appointments.

If the employee’s pay status drops below 50% before six continuous months are completed, the employee retains all vacation earned prior to the reduction in pay status hours.

Employees who permanently reduce their time below the 50% eligibility threshold maintain their accrued vacation hours but no longer earn additional vacation accruals. Current vacation accruals are not paid out to the employee. Payout occurs upon separation from the University or upon permanent transfer/promotion/demotion to another position that is not eligible to earn vacation.

Refer to Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements for information on rate of accrual for eligible employees (including students). Some represented employees must be on pay status at least one-half of the working hours in a month to be eligible to earn vacation credit for that period.

WAITING PERIOD

Refer to Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements for information on applicable waiting periods prior to ability to use accrued vacation.

IMPACT OF LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Refer to Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements for information on the impact a leave of absence with or without pay has on the amount of vacation leave accrued when an employee is on leave.

CAMPUS CLOSURE (CURTAILMENT)

During a curtailment period, up to three days of vacation hours may be used before accrual (“borrowed” against future accruals) when the Chancellor authorizes a campus closure. Refer to collective bargaining agreements for information on vacation usage during curtailment periods. See “Campus Closure Questions and Answers” for information regarding the impact of the closure on vacation accruals.

ALTERNATE WORK SCHEDULE

Employees with alternate work schedules use vacation according to their scheduled hours of work. Refer to the Time and Attendance Reference Materials, Alternate Work Schedule Chart for more information.

V. Process Overview

RATE OF ACCRUAL

Once an employee is eligible to accrue vacation, the rate at which vacation is accrued is defined by the Rate Accrual Code and specific provisions of the personnel program policies or collective bargaining agreements.

The amount of vacation earned increases with the number of years of qualifying service. Qualifying service, for purposes of determining the appropriate Rate Accrual Code, is a month on pay status at 50% time or more. Refer to the Vacation Accrual Chart for the rate of accrual applicable for each Rate Accrual Code.

Note Qualifying Service Grandparented Criteria below:

Employees who were in the A&PS program as of June 30, 1996 shall continue to accrue vacation under the A&PS schedule until whichever event occurs first: - A break in service of four (4) or more months - Promotion to a position classified as MSP

Upon return to University service after a break in service of four or more months or promotion to a Manager or Senior Professional position, such an employee shall earn vacation in accordance with the applicable rate of accrual in place upon the employees return.

Staff members who were in the Executive Program as of June 30, 1996, shall continue to accrue vacation at the rate of 16 hours per month until a break in service of four or more months occurs.

Staff members who transferred from the University Management Program into the Management and Professional Program in 1986 shall continue to be eligible for supplemental vacation only for the five-year cycle in progress on July 1, 1996. [The timeframe for this program has expired, however language is left here for accrual auditing purposes]

Vacation accrues during the month and is credited on the first working day of the following month (i.e., employees cannot use vacation before it is credited).

MAXIMUM ACCRUAL

All full-time and part-time employees accrue a maximum of two times the annual full-time accrual rate appropriate to their personnel program, rate of accrual and years of service. Refer to the Factor Leave Chart and/or information on maximum accruals outlined in PPSM or collective bargaining agreements.

Maximum Accrual Notice: The employee must be advised in advance that they are close to reaching their maximum vacation threshold. This notification originates in CruzPay, or is sent by the Timekeeper to non-CruzPay using employees when the employee is within 50-hours of reaching their maximum accrual.

SCHEDULING AND USE

Vacation may not be used before it is accrued and credited; additionally vacation schedules are subject to the staffing requirements of the unit. Seniority might be a criterion, please refer to appropriate Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements for information on how seniority affects vacation scheduling.

Part-time employees with variable schedules, e.g., students and other staff, may use vacation according to their pre-determined work schedule, subject to unit approval procedures.

If simultaneous requests for vacation cannot be approved for operational reasons, preference shall be based on parameters set forth in Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) and collective bargaining agreements.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Family and Medical Leave (FML):

Subject to eligibility criteria and conditions specified by personnel program or collective bargaining agreement, employees are entitled to up to twelve work weeks of family and medical leave during a calendar year. Under certain conditions, vacation may be designated for FML in addition to any sick leave used or leave without pay. (See Recording Time below.)

To use accrued vacation for illness or disability an employee may be required to submit medical certification of inability to work or illness in the family.

Supplemental FML:

Employees may be entitled to supplemental FML under certain conditions, according to personnel policy and collective bargaining agreement provisions.

Extended Sick Leave (ESL):

Refer to Work Related Injury for information on vacation accrual, use and record keeping while on ESL.

Eligible employees may take up to 40 hours of CTO or vacation during each year (but no more than eight (8) hours in any calendar month) to participate in the school activities or day care facility activities of the employee’s children who are in kindergarten or grades 1 through 12.

TRANSFER OF VACATION LEAVE

An employee who is transferred, promoted, or demoted from one University position to another University position in which the employee will accrue vacation credit shall have their vacation credit transferred to the new unit.

Effective 1/1/98, it will no longer be necessary to process vacation leave transfer expenses due to the implementation of the Financial Leave Accounting system.

VACATION PAY

An employee who is transferred, promoted, or demoted to another University position in which the employee will not be eligible to accrue vacation credit shall be paid for accrued vacation leave.

An employee shall not be paid a lump sum for accrued vacation for the same period during which the employee is on pay status in the employee's present position or in any other position paid by University funds except:

An employee shall be paid for accrued vacation leave upon resignation, termination, retirement, indefinite layoff, medical separation, or unpaid military leave as authorized by the Chancellor

An employee who separates from University employment shall be paid for vacation earned through the employee’s last day of work. The effective date of separation shall be the last day of work.

Note: This includes any vacation earned in cases where an employee has been granted an additional extension period within which to take vacation to bring the employee’s vacation accruals below the maximum.

RECORDING TIME TAKEN

Exempt employees shall record vacation taken in whole day increments. (“Day” is defined for part-time employees as scheduled work hours.)

Non-Exempt employees shall record vacation taken to the nearest 1/4 hour.

In cases where vacation leave banks do not have balances sufficient to cover a full day’s hours, the salary must be docked.

VI. HR Service Team Representative (HRSTR) Procedure

RECORDING TIME TAKEN

Paper Based System:

Family Medical Leave (FML): Record the number of vacation hours to be designated as FML in the Actual Hours Worked section. In the Control Office Use Section annotate the total number of hours to be designated as FML.

Catastrophic Leave Donations Made: In the Control Office Use Section, record catastrophic leave donations made by deducting vacation hours from the Vacation Balance Section. Asterisk and annotate the reason for the deduction.

Catastrophic Leave Donations Received: Record catastrophic leave donations received and used in the “Other Leave” section, as well as the pay status hours section. Asterisk and annotate the number of catastrophic leave hours received and/or used.

CruzPay:

Family Medical Leave (FML): Record the number of vacation hours to be designated as FML on the employee’s timesheet using the Vacation FML pay code. CruzPay will deduct the hours entered from the employee’s Vacation Bank and show hours used in the detail section.

Catastrophic Leave Donations Made: Use the Vacation Adjust paycode on the employees timesheet with a minus (-) sign to deduct the hours donated.

Switch views to leave a comment on the detail view, which the employee can see to explain what you did and why.

Leave a comment on the Approval Window as well, to alert the supervisor to the reason for the adjustment.

Catastrophic Leave Donations Received: When donations have been received use the Cat Leave Adjust paycode to place the donated hours into the Catastrophic Leave Bank on the recipient’s timesheet.

Switch views to leave a comment on the detail view, which the employee can see to explain what you did and why.

Leave a comment on the Approval Window as well, to alert the supervisor to the reason for the adjustment.

When the leave is used by the employee enter the hours on the employee’s timesheet using the Cat Leave Taken paycode. This will deduct the hours from the employees Catastrophic Leave Bank.

AUDITING VACATION LEAVE TAKEN

Paper Based System:

Non-Exempt Employees:

Validate that vacation leave taken is recorded in the “Hours on Pay Status Not Worked” section of the Attendance, Leave Use and Accrual Record.

Validate that vacation leave taken is appropriate to the accrued vacation balance and is consistent with the specific policy or provision for the employee.

Validate that vacation leave taken is recorded to the nearest 1/4 hour.

In the “CONTROL OFFICE USE ONLY” section:

Record Vacation Leave Balance from prior month

Record Vacation Leave taken from current month

Add earned Vacation Leave accrual for the current month

Deduct any catastrophic leave donated, received, or used

Check for the maximum vacation accrual allowed. If employee is within the appropriate notification period of reaching maximum, prepare notification letter

Record the ending balance

Transfer information to new Attendance, and Leave Use and Accrual Record

Reconcile the Times Benefits Roster

Exempt Employees:

Validate that vacation leave taken is recorded in whole-day increments (or partial day for part-time employees) and is recorded in the appropriate area of the Leave Use and Accrual Record.

In the “CONTROL OFFICE USE ONLY” section:

Record Vacation Leave Balance from prior month

Record Vacation Leave taken from current month

Add earned Vacation Leave accrual for the current month

Deduct any catastrophic leave donated, received, or used

Check for the maximum vacation accrual allowed. If employee is within the appropriate notification period of reaching maximum, prepare notification letter

Record the ending balance

Transfer information to new Attendance, and Leave Use and Accrual Record

Reconcile the Times Benefits Roster

CruzPay:

Non-Exempt Employees:

Pay rules built into the system will automatically calculate eligible vacation accrual hours based on personnel policy and if applicable hours entered.

CruzPay will not allow an employee to use more vacation hours than available except during the campus closure curtailment period.

During Campus Closure curtailment periods, to borrow vacation, employees should use the “Vacation Curtail” pay code

Validate that vacation leave taken is recorded to the nearest 1/4 hour.

Reconcile the Times Benefits Roster.

Exempt Employees:

Pay rules built into the system will automatically calculate eligible vacation accrual hours based on personnel policy and if applicable hours entered.

CruzPay will not allow an employee to use more vacation hours than available except during the campus closure curtailment period.

During Campus Closure curtailment periods, to borrow vacation, employees should use the “Vacation Curtail” paycode.

Validate that vacation leave taken is recorded in day increments (or partial day for part-time employees).